Overboard remake adds some new elements to the 1987 original

Movie Title:     Overboard

Grade:   B

Rating: PG-13, 110 minutes

In a Nutshell:   It has been many years since I saw the original Gary Marshall movie  Overboard starring Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, but I remember thinking it was a charming Rom-com.  

The good news is that there is some charm to this remake, but the bad news is that it's not a great movie.

There is a funny running gag about Mexican soap operas.  Now that I think of it, the movie kind of feels like a goofy 1980’s Mexican soap opera.

                                                     

Tips for parents: 

• Eugenio Derbez pulls part of his shorts down to reveal a tattoo on his butt cheek.
• There is a LOT of Spanish spoken, so there are a LOT of subtitles.  If you speak Spanish, you’ll hear some profanity.
• The plot of the movie is that the protagonist and her children lie to a rich man to take advantage of his amnesia, as well as get a little revenge. Not exactly the kind of example we want to set for our kids.
• Girls in bikinis.
• Some profanity in English and Spanish.
• Alcohol.
• There is some discussion about what the word “pervert” means, so your young kids are probably going to ask you about it.
• You see an unmarried couple in bed together.

Uplifting theme: 

• Follow your dream
• Motherhood
• Poetic justice
• “Life’s short and you don’t want to live with regrets.” -  (Anna Faris)

                                   

Things I liked:

• Eugenio Derbez is always delightful.  I first saw him in How To Be A Latin Lover.  He’s super popular in Mexico.  I can see why.
• Anna Faris is probably best known for her roles in the Scary Movie franchise.  Unlike her ex-husband Chris Pratt, she tends to choose movie scripts that end up bombing at the box office.  She’s extremely likable and capable, although her plastic surgery is a bit distracting.  I’m not talking about her breast implants, but it looks like she had something done to her lips. I keep staring at her face to see if I could figure out what she had done.
• Fans of The Last Man on Earth: Season 1 will get a kick out of seeing Mel Rodriguez.
• Keep watching when the rolling credits run at the end of the movie.
• My twin sister teaches nursing students, so I thought it was cute that Anna Faris' character listened to nursing audio books in the car to help her prepare for her big test.  Every summer, my sister takes nursing students to various Third World countries to offer free health clinics.  The program is run through International Service Learning.  I got to go with her one year as a Spanish translator when she went to Colombia.  It was awesome and I highly recommend it to anyone in the health industry who is up for a meaningful adventure abroad! 
• There is a cute Jaws reference when you see the name tag “Brody” on a guy during a conversation about sharks.   Ha ha
• In a movie filled with wacky gags and slapstick humor, I thought it was insightful to include a short, yet deep scene where some men talked about how they felt like they were just a paycheck to their wives. 
• The youngest daughter, played by Payton Lepinski, is so adorable.  I’d like to see her in more films.
• It’s always good to see Eva Longoria.
• Director and writer Rob Greenberg was trying to bring something fresh to the remake by switching the gender roles and adding a Latino element to the story.

Things I didn’t like:

• The chemistry between Eugenio Derbez and Anna Faris             isn’t very convincing.  Of course, Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell were an actual couple when they filmed the original Overboard, so their chemistry was undeniable.  
• Eugenio wears a lot of Seattle Seahawks t-shirts in the movie, but the location is supposedly somewhere along the Oregon coast.  I was just in Seattle last weekend, by the way.  It was my very first time there and I was so impressed!  My husband and I enjoyed perfect weather with blue skies and had so much fun going on tours, seeing the sites, and discovering cool restaurants.   I highly recommend the “Underground Tour”, “Free Walking Tours”, and Amazon headquarters tour!  What a cool city.

Interesting lines:

• “I don’t have time for fun.” – Kate (Anna Faris)

“Then you’re not doing it right.” – Theresa (Eva Longoria)

• “Land of the free, not land of the free lunch.” –  Bobby (Mel Rodriguez)
• “Mos of us only know the world we’re born into.”  - Colin (John Hannah) 
• “Act like a man!” – Godfather

                                          

                                             @trinaboice

Deepwater Horizon pays a respectable and riveting tribute to the worst oil disaster in US History

Movie Title:  Deepwater Horizon

Grade:  A-

Rating:  PG-13, 99 minutes

In a Nutshell:  If you don’t remember the real events from when this true story happened, you learn that the oil rig’s blowout lasted 87 days, making it the worst oil disaster in U.S. history.  Director Peter Berg is great at creating tension and action sequences that make it hard to look away.  This is the second time he and Mark Wahlberg have filmed a true story action flick (Lone Survivor), and they have another one hitting the big screen soon (Patriot Day).

It’s truly stunning how they filmed this movie, because it looks and feels so real.  It took over $100 million to recreate this man-made disaster that shook the country in 2010.

Uplifting theme: 

• Family is everything.
• Hope, greed, sacrifice for others, friendship, grit and determination.

Things I liked:

• Impressive machinery and rough working conditions will make you respect the men and women who work on oil rigs.  The film does a good job paying tribute to the people in this tough industry.
• There is some humor in the beginning that allows you to sense the friendship and comradery among the team workers and allows you to begin to care about them.
• John Malkovich gives a great performance with an interesting Southern drawl.
• I’m always so impressed with people who are calm in an emergency.
• It’s great to see Kurt Russell in movies.  The first time I saw him in a movie I was a little girl and thought he was so handsome.  It was nice to see him and Kate Hudson together in the same movie.  Don’t we all miss Goldie Hawn?
• I love Gina Rodriguez from the hit TV show “Jane the Virgin” for which she won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. It’s great to see she got another gig in a movie.  She learned to rap for her role in the indie film Filly Brown in 2012.
• The touching reunion scene at the end of the movie got the audience crying all around me.
• You get to see pictures of the real people who died in this disaster.   
• Mark Wahlberg is the perfect actor to play this rough and tumble oil rig worker with a heart.  
• There is a powerful scene when Kurt Russell and John Malkovich just look at each other, yet volumes are spoken.

Things I didn’t like:

• Sometimes people talk really fast and slurred, making it hard to understand what they say.
• It’s often difficult to see what’s going on, because there is fire, mud, oil, and debris flying everywhere.
• If you want to see this movie, do it at the theater.  Some of the scenes are dark and will look terrible on your computer screen.
• There is a lot of facial hair in this movie!  Why is that such a popular thing right now?  Just a little bit of scruff is sexy, but when you can hide jelly beans in your beard, you know it’s too long.
• The audience won’t always be able to understand the technical jargon.

Interesting lines:

• “Hope ain’t a tactic, Don.” – Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg)

Funny lines:

• “I don’t know if it’s stupid, but it ain’t smart.” – Caleb Holloway (Dylan O’Brien)

Tips for parents: 

• 2 F-bombs and lots of other profanity.
• Bloody, deep wounds, people in perilous situations, death, destruction. 

Furious 7 is playfully preposterous and a sweet tribute to Paul Walker

Movie:    Furious 7 

PG-13, 2 hours 20 minutes

Grade:  A for amazing stunts and action, C for cheese

In a Nutshell:  Paul Walker’s character says “Just when you didn’t think it could get any better, huh?” as if he were really talking about this film.   If you love this action franchise, you’ll love this new addition to the ongoing saga.  Like the others before it, this one has LOTS of action and testosterone, not to mention cheesy lines that you’ll be laughing at and quoting with your friends for a long time.  

You’ll think you’re watching one of The Terminator movies, because villains and heroes refuse to die, despite unbelievable crashes and over-the-top fights.  Don’t get me wrong, the body count is high and some of the deaths show pretty yucky endings.  

The absolute best/funniest moment of the movie is when Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson bulges his massive muscles and bursts out of an arm cast, saying “Daddy’s gotta go to work.”   Haha  

Uplifting Theme:

·         Sadly and ironically, Paul Walker was tragically killed in a real life car accident about midway through the filming of this movie in 2014.  The characters in this film, as well as Paul Walker, lived their lives doing what they loved.  He will be missed.  The song See You Again (feat. Charlie Puth) plays in the movie and is a touching tribute to Paul. Vin Diesel even named his new baby daughter Pauline after his dear friend.

·         Dominic (Vin Diesel) affirms “Everyone’s always looking for the thrill, but what’s real is family.” Family is who you surround your life and love with.

Things I liked:

·         It’s always fun to see Kurt Russell in anything.  I was in love with him when I was a little girl.  I want a pair of his cool night-vision glasses.

·         Epic fight scenes between Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham.

·         I love looking at Jordana Brewster.  She is such a beautiful porcelain doll.

·         Michelle Rodriguez looked beautiful in that red dress.  Note to girls: make sure there is a big slit in your gown so you can kick butt in case you get into a serious cat fight at your fancy event.

·          

Things I didn’t like:

·         Most of the stunts are so ridiculously awesome that they couldn’t possibly ever be done in real life.  I’d like to see Myth Busters try them.

·         If you haven’t seen any of the Fast & Furious (2009) movies before, you won’t appreciate the backstories that bring all of these characters together again, but you’ll still enjoy the fun ride.

·         Vin Diesel poses and stares off in contemplation a LOT.  There’s also a lot of slow-motion walking scenes so you can linger on the stars' awesomeness a bit longer.

Cheesy lines:

·         “They say an open road helps you think.” – Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel)

·         “You better start talking before I break that finger six different ways and stick it where the sun doesn’t shine.” – Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson)

·         “He doesn’t miss the cars.  He doesn’t miss the girls.  He misses the bullets.” –Mia talking about her husband

·         “When you find the guy who killed Han, what are you going to do?” –

“Words haven’t been invented yet.” – Dominic

·         “Did you bring the calvalry?” – Letty (Michelle Rodriguez)

“Woman, I AM the cavalry!” – Luke (The Rock)

Funny lines:

·         “Don’t worry.  You’ll get use to this in no time.” – Preschool mom

“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of .” – Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker)

·         “You risk your life to save the world and they give you Jello and a bad ‘70’s show.” – Dominic

·         “I’m just a guy.  I’m just a nobody.” – Petty

“That’s a pretty big entrance for a nobody.” – Dominic

·         “Your file’s not only detailed, it’s extremely entertaining.” - Petty

Tips for Parents:

·         What do guys like?  According to this movie...fast cars and scantily clad girls.  There are a lot of both, including close-ups of thongs, buns, and inappropriate jokes about women’s bodies.

·         I sat next to two different sets of teenage boys.  They all clapped, laughed and squealed with delight.  That’s entertainment.